Rose Shirly
by annecordelia
Summary: Rose Shirly is the sister of Anne, but they dont know each other, she is a more tomboyish, witty just as big temper, artist version of Anne. A twist of fate and they meet at Queens...lots of old friends and some new ones, and lots of adventures!
1. Meet Rose

Rose was in a whirlwind and she did not like it. People all running around, all knowing where they were meant to be, 'but not me' she sighed. She should be galloping around for joy, this is the moment she had been waiting for so long, had begged for so long , and now she was here!

She looked up the steps, the shield of Queens blazed in glory above, she liked the design of it and copied it down in her notebook. She flipped through the pages, there was a sketch of the train driver, a few quick flicks of other passengers and Tom and Eleanor's faces when they let her go off.

A boy ran past and knocked the book out her hand, "Scum!" she yelled out after him. She then felt a bit remorseful, Eleanor had been trying so hard to break her out of the habit of calling people names when she was riled, bit of a pity though, she could think of some delicious ones. In the corner of her eye she could see a group of students looking dazed and huddled together, 'at least they have each other, I have no one". No one, the words thudded in her head, she had to rely on herself, talent, brains and charm to get through Queens.

Out of the corner of her eye she could see a red headed girl. It wasn't the red hair that caught her eye, you'd think she'd be used to it by now, seeing it in the mirror all the time, though she determinedly said it was strawberry blonde (she'd read that in a magazine once and like the sound of it). No, she decided that it was her eyes, they didn't seem lost or anything, but then they looked over the crowd, like she was in a world of her own and seeing visions so beautiful. Rose liked the look of her, she looked like someone who would understand - she'd like to be friends with that red haired girl….that's if she got past the exams

CHAPTER TWO COMING SOON!


	2. Curiouser and curiouser

CHAPTER TWO

Rose flopped on the bed, in the grey boarding house, today was so exhausting! Her mind felt thoroughly racked and used up – and she didn't even get a chance to meet the red haired girl - she always surrounded by people. At that moment, the world seemed bleak and unpromising.

Rose looked out the window, the lane that ran past it looked promising, the greenness of the popular trees seemed to make the red road blush,

"Alright! Alright, beckoning road, I'm coming!" she said, grabbing her notebook and hat and rushing out in her usual flurried style, "Sides no one can cheer up in a boarding house".

She couldn't see anyone in the lane, all was clear so she ran, her kinks and tiredness disappearing as she did. She went faster and faster down the hill and in the rush, almost ran head first into a tall boy. She swerved to the side but he tried to do the same, so they collided at full pelt and fell on the ground. Rose didn't know why, but she started laughing hysterically, the boy looked at her curiously, like he recognized her or something.

"Sorry 'bout that" she finally said, he seemed to snap out of whatever his thoughts were and grinned

"I haven't met you before have I?"

"I don't know a soul here!"

"Then let me introduce myself, my name's Gilbert Blythe" His hazel eyes met hers, she shook his hand vigorously

"And mine's Rose Shirly"

"Shirly!?" He looked surprised, his brows came together and he glanced behind, "Where are you from?"

"I hardly know myself, we've moved that much, two days ago it was Belmont, but a year ago it was Darlington, but we've also been over the sea to Saint John's for ages. Tom's job moves him around a lot"

Rose laughed again. Gilbert's face was still muddled and his eyes seemed to glimmer a bit when she's said St. Johns. He shook his head a bit,

"Really? The name St. John brings memories to me - I was there five years ago while my father" Gilbert swallowed, "was being treated. Mighty big hospital there" He muttered the last sentence. Rose nodded and was about to change the subject when a shorter boy puffed his way up to Gilbert. He had two enormous goggle eyes, 'he must of done something bad to be inflicted with those eyes' she thought, a giggle on the edge of her tongue. The boy nodded to her, and also seemed confused by her. 'Come on' she thought 'Surely you've seen red hair before'

"She looks like.." he started to stutter, but Gilbert cut him short,

"Charlie, this is Rose Shirly" Charlie's eyebrows, like fat caterpillars, shot right up at the name but Gilbert smoothly cut in again,

"She's from Belmont, or was it Darlington?" Gilbert smiled a bit at her but she thought she'd better get away, the other bloke, Charlie looked like he had something to say to Gilbert - he looked exactly like someone had poured something very cold down his back, 'not a bad idea actually' Rose hurriedly said

"Well. I guess we'll run, maybe not so literally, into each other again sometime". As she walked away, thinking about a sketch of Charlie with that cold water down his back, she could over hear from the two fellows, "…Anne…the red …"

END OF CHAPTER TWO

More comming very soon, keep checking back!

Reveiw welcome (but not scortching please) :)


	3. Anne

Okay, sorry guys for the 'drought', but rain has fallen since then – so here we go. Please, please review! You are the rain and inspiration for me.

CHAPTER 3

Anne lounged on the bed, her eyes far gazing out the window, while her friend's chatter hummed around her. But she wasn't part of that right now, she was part of her imaginary world, an exclusive one only open to those with that fairy birthright. It was those rich red roads that had caught her eye at first, they reminded Anne of her first buggy ride with Matthew, when he'd picked her up from the station that fateful day… _"Those red roads are so funny. When we got into the train at Charlottetown and the red roads began to flash past, I asked Mrs_. _Spencer_ (Anne shuddered at the memory of her, that face belonged to the dark past, which seemed more like a nightmare she had long ago)_ what made them red and she said she didn't know and for pity's sake not to ask her any more questions. She said I must have asked her a thousand already. I suppose I had too, but how are you going to find out about things if you don't ask questions? And what does make the roads red?"_

"_Well now, I dunno," said Matthew… _oh! Heart pang, thinking about Matthew and Marilla, probably half way through afternoon tea - that couldn't of been a tear that just dropped off her nose – but Anne saw it all in her head, that old table of maple colour and her seat…empty. There went another tear, she saw Marilla spooning out her preserves with that exactness, oh Anne could just about smell it. Josie's whine cut through her thoughts,

"Shame Anne! You can't be crying over pokey old Avonlea now? You know I really do pity those who have homesickness, I never do, why I'm glad I've left!" That was one voice she could leave behind without regrets, thought Anne ruthlessly. Jane sat next to Anne, and smiled sympathetically with her,

"It _is_ hard to leave cosy home for a hard boarding house like this, but I'm sure we'll get used to it, sooner or later" Josie just sniffed. Anne's eyes returned to the window, watching the sparrows twitter out of the way of a girl running head long, without a care down the road. It was the same girl who had looked so frightened on the steps of Queens that morning, they just about all had that look, and then the girl looked so wistfully at Anne and her friends, she had no one. But now the girl was grinning wildly, no, laughing, looking like she finally fitted in, with the birds and trees, Anne had an impulse to join her, until she saw two boys stroll down, and, her cheeks burned, _he _was there. It seemed almost like slow motion as the girl ran into him (trust _him_ to be in the way!) and they collided head on, both tumbling to the ground. Anne gasped, and making the rest of the girls look to the window. Ruby started giggling at the look on Gilbert's face, Josie sniffed again.

"I've seen that girl, isn't she in your class Anne?" Ruby asked,

"You could almost be twins with that hair, both so re…" Jane cut in before Josie could finish,

"She was also on the steps, she seemed strange, scribbling in that notebook all the time, and then the one of the professors took it away from her in the assembly, she was scribbling in it then too and completely forgot to stand up for the anthem"

"She must be a Bohemian then" Anne said, her eyes shining again as she added in her mind 'and a kindred spirit'.

"I was behind her in the line, when we were signing our names in, and signed hers 'Rose Shirly'. _Shirly_ Anne! Except it didn't have an 'e' in it like your name, other than that, you could be related, think about that!"


	4. First Day updated

First of all, thanks so much to puffysleeves for the review! I'm sure I don't deserve one so good, but it made me glow with happiness!

CHAPTER 4

A month later, the first day at Queens Academy 

Rose looked about her, the school rising up in the front, though it didn't look quite as formidable as it did on that first day, she chilled when she thought of that, that day when every minute was tense and those horrendous exams, though she knew it was worth it now. The building almost smiled at her, for she knew she belonged now, she was officially a Queens Girl. She'd gotten through the entrance, which seemed like to test to prove herself worthy. She'd passed that – so what next? She really had no idea, it was an uncharted path before her, but she felt like she could run straight into it, an adventure at her fingertips.

In all that time waiting agonisingly at home for the result, she could hardly forget the girl with the red hair and vivacious eyes, she'd try to sketch her, but something in those eyes escaped her, they were deep, like a grey ocean, calm on the surface but you could only guess at what was underneath.

There were only scatterings of people trudging up the steps. Ted had been puzzled by her request to get there early, "Darl, there'll be enough time all term to be at that place", but she was firm, she could never get over that fear of being late to things. It had happened at church once, and she shuddered every time she thought of it, every head turned to her, eyes accusing, 'how dare she be late', the glare so cold as they scrutinised her. So she always would beg to be early, and when Ted protested she'd quip, "It's better to be early than late", he'd usually give in; his kind heart couldn't deny her anything.

But she couldn't go in just yet, though there was no one to wait for, she doodled in her notebook while she stood there, the steam of people becoming more and more fast. That tall boy – Gilbert, gave smiled and gave her a nod as he passed her, she laughed, she couldn't exactly forget that either. Her eyes wandered over the people, most of them looking at the ground, until she saw a flash of red hair – it was the girl! If only she would look her way! She didn't know why she wanted to know the girl so much, later on Anne would say that it was her kindred spirit radar.

The girl looked up, looked her straight in the eye and smiled! She _smiled_! Rose clapped her hands, and seemed to glow all over, she thought of nothing else as the crowd pushed her down the hall way and as she stumbled into her classroom. The girl was already there, next to the window, gazing out, oblivious to everyone else. Rose was about to sit next to her when the teacher boomed, "Students!" Rose swung around and tripped over a chair into a girl's lap. She looked up, the girl had blonde hair and was laughing, her eyes dancing with fun, Rose hastily got up, the teacher, scary enough with his thick eyebrows and commanding voice glared at her,

"Once we're _all _settled and seated, we shall begin" Rose gulped and sat in the nearest seat possible, next to the blonde haired girl. She felt like she could shrivel up with shame, but the girl simply turned and winked.

"I will be your English professor, my name is Mr. Matchet. My past students know me as the Machete, so I wont expect anything from you but proper and courteous behaviour." he closed his eyes "Manners cost little and give much", he grinned triumphantly when he'd finished and opened his eyes, "Now you know my name, but I don't know yours, stand up and recite for me your favourite verse of poetry" Some of the boys groaned, Rose looked to the red haired girl, whose eyes lit up at the word poetry. Rose remembered a verse from the cloth hanging in her aunties room which she always read. Mr. Matchet read down the list of names, and everyone recited rhymes, she recognised the name "Gilbert Blythe" who read, eyes glancing now and then to the red haired girl,

"There is another, - not a sister: in happy days gone by

You'd have known her by the merriment that sparkled in her eye,

Too innocent for coquetry, - to fond her idle scorning,

O friend! I fear the lightest heart makes sometimes-heaviest mourning!

Tell her the last night of my life (for ere the moon be risen,

My body will be out of pain, my soul out of prison), -

I dreamed I stood with her, and saw the yellow sunlight shine

On the vine-clad hills of Bingen – fair Bingen on the Rhine"

It all flowed without hitch until Mr. Matchet read out "Priscilla Grant" and the girl next to her said, with a twinkle to her voice,

"Oh that I was where I would be

Then I would be where I am not,

But where I am I still must be

And where I would be I cannot" Priscilla said it all with such a droll look on her face that the class could hardly keep from laughing, but Mr. Matchet's abrupt look over his glasses wiped it away. There was silence for a minute or two then Mr. Matchet started up again. Rose waited for the red haired girl's name, but when Mr. Matchet finally got to "Anne Shirley" she gasped. Anne's voice was low and mesmerising, sending chills up Rose's spine,

"A long drawn carol, mournful, holy,

She chanted loudly, chanted lowly,

Till her eyes were darkened wholly

And her smooth face sharpen'd slowly,

Turn'd to towered Camelot:

For ere she reach'd upon the tide,

The first house by the waterside,

Singing in her song she died,

The Lay of Shalott" The class paused, then started to spontaneously clap, Rose the heartiest. Mr. Matchet's eyes glimmered, and then read "Rose Shirly", Rose started but Mr. Matchet interrupted, "Are you two related?" Rose and Anne looked at each other, smiled but shook their heads, Mr. Matchet thought, but said "Go on" Rose took a breath,

"If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with kings – nor loose the common touch

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you

If all me count with you, but none too much

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds worth of distance run –

Yours is the earth and everything in it,

And – what is more – you'll be a Man my son!" Anne looked over to her, her eyes shining and mouth expressive, she mouth to her "I love that poem"

Once he'd finished the list of names, Mr. Matchet eyed them all, "Now we know each other names, but we still don't _know_ each other. So, for your first assignment you're going to pair up with someone you've never met in your life and you're going to work together on a report about yourselves – there will be three sections: "A quick look on the inside", "Family & Family history" and "The future", so you'll cover now, yesterday and tomorrow. Any questions? No? Well, you can start pairing up."

Rose and Anne looked at each other, their thoughts exactly the same.

CHAPTER 6 "Getting to know you"

Rose sat by the window next to Anne, who looked at her, her eyes shining,

"I think this is the best spot in the whole classroom, I really do pity you, sitting up the front as the teachers loom over and you gaze up at their nostrils…but here, by the window" Anne patted the seat next to her, "there is so much scope for imagination" Anne paused, waiting for Rose to screw up her face at that, for she learnt to be wary of strange people who just didn't get it about imagination, and would laugh scornfully at her fancies, but Rose laughed, not scornfully, but playfully 'like fairy bells tinkling in the wind' thought Anne

"I have to say that you're wrong though, there is plenty of scope in the teachers nostrils, why, I explored them in my mind all the way through Mr. Matchet's introduction" Anne laughed and clapped her hands

"You know I'm _so _glad we're doing this together, I knew from the moment I saw you, that you were a kindred spirit" Rose tilted her head and look quizzedly at her,

"You know, like a soul twin, someone made from the same kind of dust as you" Rose nodded,

"You and I, we're made from star dust" Rose waited for a laugh, but instead Anne looked anxiously up, Rose turned around and faced a Mr. Matchet glowering over them,

"Three words, and I hope you can understand them, Get To Work" Rose gulped as Mr. Matchet turned and stalked away, but Anne looked inspired,

"Hey, let's start there, three words to describe yourself" Rose smiled, "Artistic, witty, and a terrible temper!" Anne grinned, "imaginative, dreamy and a terrible temper too!"

And from there, an assignment and a long lasting friendship was started.


	5. Nightmare

CHAPTER 5

She was terrified, frozen as she clutched the legs of the table. The shouts and screams swirled around her, they seemed to shatter her insides, and she'd never heard anything like that. She could peek at the legs walking too and fro from the slit under the table cloth, there was a mans polished shoes and voice booming, "…so the legal guardians are dead" it pronounced, she was only three and didn't know what a legal guardian was, but she shuddered at the sound of it. Next to the mans shoes was a woman's pointed, scraggly looking ones, a pinched voice screeched, "Of course not, and they hardly had anything to pay off their burial costs either, so caught up in their own little world, no planning for the future whatsoever, and now they leave two scrawny urchins…" The man's voice boomed again, "So they left nothing", "That's what I told you!" the woman's snapped.

She drew back, as far as she could go, she wanted to run away from these voices, into the lap of mummy, or the hands of dad. "Not a scrapping…" the woman's voice continued "So what's to be one with them Reverend?" "I'm afraid, there's no room for them at the orphanage, well the would be one if we scrimp a little, but you wouldn't want to separate twins Madame, would you?" "I don't see why not," screeched the voice again.

She couldn't bare it, she had to get out, get away, she wanted warmth, and this was cold. She spotted the door, it was slightly open, she cold squeeze through. She crawled towards it as the voice argued more, "so what's to be done? I ask again…" The air pushed her in the face as she went through the door, it wrapped around her, cutting her to the bones, but she ran, she ran to get away, away from the scary woman, who looked like the witches in the books father read to her, her wee legs stumbled through the paddock. They went on and on through the paddock, until she bumped into the barbed fence which dug into her arm. She cried, all her agony spilling out. She didn't know where to go, nowhere else to run….

Rose woke up, the sweat chilling her as it ran down her forehead. It wasn't the first time she had that nightmare, but every time it brought her a new horror. She gasped for breath, trying to breathe, eventually she could drift off again, and dream of the red haired girl – Anne

Thank you to my reviewers – rubygillis and Cyrl, I'd just snuck in to check them at the end of my Computers class at school, and when I read them, I kind of squealed with delight, everyone turning around to look at me!

Sorry, but for the story, I had to change the age Anne was when her parents died to three years old, because babies cannot run away.


	6. Girlz Only Conversations

CHAPTER 7

A week later…

The boarding room, empty during the school hours was flooded with the chattering and squeals of girls. Rose looked around and sighed happily, it made things so much jollier to have others around, and less scary, and things funnier when they're shared around with a gang. All the girls instantly fell in love with Rose too, she kept them in stitches with her quick sketches of teachers and other students, all falling subject to her pen and paper. Anne flung herself on the bed, as she usually did after an exhausting day,

"Day's are sweet and sour".

Jane thought, "Well I could of done without that history test sprung on me"

Ruby and Josie groaned with sympathy. "Did you see what I did in the middle of those Oral presentations?" Stella wailed to Priscilla. She giggled,

"Well you had to admit it was kind of funny"

"For you!" Stella interrupted

"We couldn't figure out what was going on there, you suddenly stopped and kind of screwed up your face?"

"An adventurous fly got caught there, and I couldn't exactly spit it out in front of everyone, so I had to swallow it, there was no way out" Stella grimaced. The girl's laughter rang out.

"I kind of did that, well, it wasn't a fly, and it wasn't in front of everyone", explained Rose, you see, it was in the middle of Charlie Sloane's presentation (everyone groaned at his name, for he always tried to follow them around), and he's there with his eyes, trying to look sentimental as he read "…And we will never hear hint of it again…" and I thought, he looked exactly like the brown cows that graze in the paddock next to our house, while they're there, musing whether to eat a dandelion or fern…and I got inspired for this sketch, of a cow with Charlie's head, so I start, but then somehow I catch Mr. Matchet's eye and he stalks over, and, well, you know how fussy he is on paying respect to other students and how he caught me out on a sketch of that prissy Louise girl, (Anne, Pris and Stella rolled their eyes) and what an uproar _that_ caused. So I didn't know what to do, and he's coming closer and closer…. so, I ate it!" Laughter bounced off the walls,

"You know Anne, Charlie would be the perfect match for you" said Josie spitefully. Rose was going to jump in but Jane did before her. No one really like Josie that much, she'd sting, especially Anne everyone several times a day. But they kind of got resistant to her, just learned to shrug it off, though if she mentioned something about 'red hair' or 'Charlie Sloane' to Anne – the banes of her life, the other girls would jump in, for we all are acquainted with Anne's temper.

"Uh uh! Herbie Welch would be _far _better" Jane teased friendly, so they all laughed. In Theatre Studies, poor Herbie got the romantic lead with Anne, and the look on his poor pimply face when he said, with his German accent "Of course _you're _not like the rest".

Ruby jumped right onto the subject – he favourite one actually - of beaus,

"Girls, now, what do you think of Jacob Guthrie?" Anne shared a roll of eye with Rose; they knew where these sorts of conversations lead. Pris just laughed though, "What! The one who's so insistent on playing his trumpet, and it ends up sounding more like, a fly caught in a throat, buzzing around?"

"Yeah, I know, but when I look into his eyes…you know, I kind of _fall_ into them" Stella smothered a smile, but Anne noticed it, "Yes Stella, they're blue just like Adam Rist." Josie sniffed

"_Him_ Stella? I thought you could do better than that, don't you know his father is a book keeper, and that he's only in Reserves"

Jane, always the peacemaker,

"Unlike Frank Stockley, whose father's a trustee, as we all know, and plays quarterback". Pris sighed,

"You know Anne, I still think you and Gil would be perfect together!" Anne looked at her darkly, the laugh wiped off her lips

"But you would be, both, the top of the class, and your red hair and pale complexion would shine beside his dark one.

"Pris…you know what I think of _him_" Anne muttered, Ruby cut in,

"Oh girls! I've got the most dazzling news! What do you know Anne, maybe you don't go for Gil, but perhaps you'll go for his cousin, who I've heard such things about! Julia says his looks are _melting_ and …"

"What do you mean Ruby?"

"Well, I heard from Gil, that his cousin, Thomas Blythe, is starting late at Queens, he's doing first year like you Anne, and he's sure to rattle the school, from what _I've_ heard."

None of them took Ruby that seriously; she'd heard _such_ things about another student who turned out to be a dumpy staring thing. But the time had ticked as their tongues had waggled, so the girls rushed off their separate ways, leaving only Rose and Anne behind. They'd started this custom of writing their letters together, Anne's to a couple at Green Gables, and to be read by the starry eyes of Diana, and Roses to a couple on a farm at Belmont, and dashed a few sketches to her art teacher, Mr. Lahar.

Okay, hopefully you liked that, I know it was kind of all nonsense chatter and fluff, but it'll all be part of the story, especially this Thomas Blythe (I had to introduce him some way) so please do your duty (or favour) and review! Oh yeah, and I know nothing about rugby of any of the positions, I'm not sure whether they even had them, so if any of you are rugby buffs, forgive me!


	7. Meet A Handome Stranger

CHAPTER 8 A STRANGER COMES TO TOWN

Rose breathed in, eyes feasting on her discovery. The salt tinged air seemed to clear her head of those tangled cobwebs that had been growing over her brain in the oppressive boarding room where she was studying. But she'd escaped from that, and now she rested on the shore. She called it her secret cove, and had spent every minute possible there since she had discovered it on the second day of school. It wasn't the main beach, it was the cliff jutting out over that, where she could gaze and idly sketch the passer-by's below, not to mention letting her spirit soar over the tossing blue beyond. No one came up there often, where bushed ran wild in a sort of tangled greenery, with buttons of wild flowers poking between them. There were a few lounging trees, which Rose would snuggle up to, or hide behind, depending on her mood at the time.

'This is my home' she thought, though she tried, she could never think of that boarding house as a home, 'it simply lacks in that charm of a home, but here…' she breathed in again, 'oh, I belong _here_'

When she was little she never had an imaginary friend really, instead, there was this gnarled oak out the back, the most wrinkled and rough tree you could imagine, and she called it Grandmother Hetty, for she was always reading about wise and kind grandmothers in books and desperately wanted one of her own. Grandmother Hetty was always there for her, her own guardian, and she'd spill out all her problems to it, while she imagined Grandmother Hetty would teach her the ways of the flowers.

But one day, one awful day, one black day, she skipped out for her daily lesson, and she was simply not there, instead there was a jagged stump sitting there where Grandmother Hetty used to smile lovingly down at her. It was a tragedy for the ten-year-old girl - it was nothing but murder. How she screamed, piercing through the windows of the homestead, and how she raged that night seeing Jack bring in piles of wood, how she called him a villain, the most black hearted murderer there ever was, and would never ever speak to him again. She thought of those tales of hell that the Sunday School Teacher terrified her with, and she said that too him too – that she hoped he would burn there. Right in front of Frieda too, and how Frieda locked her in the room for days after that, calling her a wicked heathen, and when she was finally let out, it was because they said she was going to another home, Frieda's last words in her ear being, "And that was the thanks we got for taking her in after Harry had rescued that wailing child from the field".

But the faces that met her after the train were that dimpled dumpling one of Eleanor and that kind face of Ted. And when she had told her all of her woes, Eleanor (with a look at Ted) just stroked her hair and told her that Grandmother Hetty probably just left to look after another little girl because Rose was getting too big for her. And then Ted had said that there was a Grandpa Elm at their place, in-between two gossiping Maple Maidens. Rose had fallen in love with them both from that moment on.

Rose smiled and leant back, her thoughts now of home, of the elusive Echo that lived in their field, of flower balls on the lawn, of her art teacher Mr. Lahar who began teaching her when he sat behind her in church and saw her doodles in the hymn book pages…

Unconsciously Roses hand flew as she thought of this, her pencil scribbling over the pages as her thoughts. A mischievous elf wind picked up the pages of her sketchbook and threw them into the air, scattering them down the steps to the beach, making them look like a flock of doves nesting on the ground. But Rose was oblivious to this, lost in her reverie of thoughts, until the same elf wind tugged on her sleeve and she 'woke up' with a start and looked around in dismay at her precious pages strewn everywhere. She hastened, and started to chase one down the steps, and finally got a hold of it, when a hand grabbed it out of her clutch,

"_Excuse _me!" she snapped and looked straight up into the eyes, and roguish smile of an unfamiliar face, but she took no notice of how the eyes twinkled, like sunlight on the sea, or how an irresistible lock of hair was flung in front them. She saw only a teasing look of an imbecile bumbling boy, who dared take her artwork,

"I believe stealing an artists work is called _plaguerism_, or maybe you're ignorant of how the law works, any case, I could have you thrown in jail!" The boys eyes locked into hers, fascinated by her fuming ones,

"Well, I would be very sorry for _plagiarising _an _artists_ work, if only she would thank me for rescuing them from the wind's thieving hands" his voice drawled and smile grinned as teasingly as ever, in his arms were the rest of the runaway pages. Rose's eyebrows shot up,

"In that case I suppose an artist should be grateful, even though she was _fine_ by _herself_" She snatched them off him and waited for him to scowl, but he simply dug his hands in his pockets, his smile as wide as possible, repressing laughter. That made her furious, even more so when he went on, with infuriating carelessness,

"Now what would a lass be doing in the wildness of the shore scribbling away at sketchbooks when she could be…"

"Nothing more than what a strange American boy would be strolling around the shores butting in when he's not wanted when he could be…"

"…Enrolling in Queens Academy" she scowled, now he was going to but in on her at school too, unless,

"What year?"

"First" Her face fell, he noticed,

"The same as the roaming Bohemian lass too I guess?"

"Correct"

"Then you might know my cousin, Gilbert Blythe?" He asked. A burst of laughter sprung up in her at Gil's name, she just couldn't forget their first meeting! But then she stopped…so _this_ was the cousin from the west, the one she had heard _such_ things. Ruby would be so jealous. She nodded her head

"Well I guess we'll have much more pleasure of meetings in the future, classmate" He struck out a hand, she hesitated

"So I go from Bohemian lass to classmate?" He sensed her coldness and withdrew his hand,

"I better be off so we _are _classmates"

"And I better go back to my scribblings as you call them" Tom grinned and whistled as he walked away, all day he met new people, but he could just not get that red head lass's face out of his head, he's never met anyone like her. Rose flung herself into the tree, her heart burning, she looked scornfully at the "scribblings" even Josie wouldn't deny that they were more than that. She wished he would shrivel up into thin air.

-------------------------

She told Anne all about it that night. "Typical of a Blythe" was all that Anne said.

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Okay, so maybe my meetings are a bit cliché, but still stick by me! By the way, I've refurnished the whole story, added a whole new bit to Chapter 4 about Anne and Rose getting to know each other, and some minor things in some of the other chapters, so if a name has changed here, I changed it back there as well. And after you've checked out the chapter please, please, please review while I figure out the next one!


	8. The Next Day

CHAPTER 8

The next day 

Rose got to school early, well, usually she did but this time she was _determined_ to get there before Thomas could talk to the girls - she had to warn the girls about this Yankee, who knows what his smile could do to their susceptible hearts, especially Ruby's. Of course she admitted his smile was gorgeous and that his face looked a lot like the handsome Prince of her imaginings, but he was just so…so, well infuriating and annoying and he had _insulted _her. But, she still didn't have an answer to why his face stuck around in her head all night. He must be stopped!

She saw Ruby's fair head bobbing up and down at the end of the road and ran as if Thomas himself was chasing after her, to meet up with her, Ruby swung around startled,

"Rose! Well, howdy to you. Why do you always run around so, it makes your face flush red and that doesn't go so well with your hair…"

"Ruby, there's something I desperately got to talk to you about"

"…Anyway, why are you coming down this road, I was only taking a detour to see…"

"Ruby listen to me, a fiend's about to invade our…"

Who else but Thomas whistled around the corner and stood face to face with the two, Ruby's jaw dropped while Rose's lips pressed into a tight line. Thomas's eyes widened and smile grew impish,

"Greeting's ladies, on this fine morning you just made more beautiful" Ruby flashed him her most dazzling smile, I think Jacob Guthrie's eyes flew right out of her head. But Thomas didn't see that, instead, his eyes were fixed on Rose, waiting for her to respond, but all he got was a toss of the head, which made _him_ more determined, she'll see what a guy he was if it killed him! Rose tried not to look at him, but that was impossible, a glance at Ruby showed her that she had to get him away fast! Before that creature ensnared Ruby, she just _knew _that would happen.

"Unfortunately I cant say the same, but of course today might get better once we get to school, away from certain people who might spoil the view." Rose thought, now if that wasn't a hint…But Ruby looked at her shocked, and worried that Thomas would do as Rose said, hurriedly said to him,

"Oh! You must be Gil's cousin, we've heard so much about you, but will you prove it?" Thomas finally looked at Ruby and smiled,

"If I get a chance to, but then who can live up to rumours?" Him and Ruby laughed, Rose glowered, this meeting was becoming _too_ friendly, and it would give him the wrong idea,

"Just like Mark Twain's report of death in the newspapers, but as I hear is still living as healthily as ever, which unfortunately is not what I can hope for with certain other people" Thomas laughed at the first bit, missing the sting completely, 'what a fascinating girl she was' he thought, never ever had he met someone mixed with so much spice yet funny and dreamy and talented, he couldn't let her get away,

"What do we have first up today?" He asked, though he knew quite well it was the infamous Mr. Matchet, Rose quickly replied as Ruby opened her mouth,

"English, which if we are to make it on time, then we better be off _now_, very sorry of course but we have to so adieu" _May we never meet again _she silently added, Thomas couldn't do anything but grin wider and say, "Adios! Can't wait to meet again"

"Well!" Ruby drawled, her eyes wide, following Thomas figure as he bounded away down the road

"Rose! I was right wasn't I, he is _such_…and Rose! I'm jealous! His eyes were on _you_" Ruby looked to Rose who glared at her,

"_Him!_ What next, marry me off to a savage in Africa, he _insulted _me, and always looks at me in that way…oooh I could hit him over the head" Ruby recognised the look on Rose,

"Now Rose, don't do an Anne, you see the way she treats Gilbert and what a honey he is, your eyes are simply being blinded by your anger, the way he looks at you is…"

"Is the way you would look at a kitten, or look at something that made you laugh, he _humiliates_ me with that look, and treats my art with scorn, art is my ambition, okay, maybe it isn't genius _yet_ but what gives him the right to laugh at it when it's still just blossoming, even Mr. Matchet agreed it was worth something, and that was a sketch I made of him, which he still hasn't given back yet" Ruby waited until the torrent of words was over and put her arm around Rose,

"I think you two together will be just _fine_"

Thomas poked Gil in the back at school,

"You know that red head girl you've told me so much about" Gil's face flushed and his eyes looked far away,

"You mean Anne, oh yes, I know she's…but Thomas she's _mine_, well, if it's the last thing I do she will be, I saw her first! You keep your…"

Thomas never had seen Gil in a state like _that_ over a girl, he laughed at it,

"No ol' chap, I don't mean her, she's safe from me no worries, I mean the other fascinating red head maiden, the one with all the ink blotches over her hands, the one who's constantly scribbling, the one with those adorable freckles, the one who wont give me the time of day!"

Gil was astounded at Thomas, _he _had never looked that entranced by a female before, of course he loves girls and girls loved him but this wasn't the usual flippant flirting, this was, well, he looked like that way Gil looked about Anne!

They looked at each other, Thomas laughed,

"Trust us to fall for the…"

"Elusive" Gil suggested

"Elusive cold hearted queens who hate our guts, but seriously Gil, I've got to get her to like me", Gil sighed,

"Just don't try calling her 'carrots' to get her attention"


	9. Scandal!

CHAPTER 9 SCANDAL!

Rose was proud of herself, she had completely ignored Thomas the whole day, well, that is except for when he had "accidentally" bumped into her as she went into the class. He'd meant it, of course so that she would simply _look_ at him, and gave her a cheeky wink, but she didn't see that. Instead she scrambled around on the floor pick them up, and unfortunately a sketch flew away from her pile of books, an insolent sketch of _him_ in line for the guillotine, as she danced merrily around him. He noticed that too, half happy that she paid him that much attention to draw him, but in a way that sketch was simply too real for his likings. She saw his look at that to, snatched from his hands and marched over to where Anne was giving her sympathetic looks. But other than that – and he didn't try that again, it was like he didn't even exist. Which suited her perfectly.

The classes flew along, and before she knew it the day was over (if only _all_ school days could be like that) and she skipped along with her chums back to the boarding house.

The next day however, wasn't as quite blissfully as uneventful as that…from the start it seemed to be hung over with an unlucky star. Rose got out of bed stormingly, with that feeling that you just had to kick something - that feeling bottled up inside you that inevitably would explode sometime. Anne was sick, so she went to walk with Ruby, but _she_ was walking with that abdominal creature Thomas. So Rose marched off ahead, not looking twice at them.

At school, in maths she had been writing the answer on the board, and still fuming from that morning, she got it all muddled, and to top it off the teacher got Thomas to write it out, which he got right, and really it wasn't to be endured!

So when there was a knock on the door, and Mr. Craig the sports teacher came in with an announcement, really, there wasn't a bit of sense left in Rose's head, which would explain what happened next, and when she finally came to her senses, she was too far into it and wouldn't be able to get out of it.

"Attention students!" The class all looked to Mr. Craig, some half sleepily, it being the first lesson of the day,

"There is an upcoming boys baseball competition to be played against Kingston Grammar, any interested students should meet me at recess, thankyou, that's all" A buzz went around the class, and especially Rose. She was tingling from head to foot, why baseball was her favourite sport ever, her and her chums at home used to play it all the time at home and she loved the rush it gave her. Sports was like a battle in a way, and you got all the adventure and the thrill, without all the violence, Rose felt that every time she played, and she did play heartily, putting herself all out in it. But what did he say? It was for boys, well all she would do then was to ask if there was a girl's section. Her clear voice rang out to him, just as he was walking out,

"Mr. Craig?" He turned,

"Yes?" The whole class grew strangely quiet, all listening

"About the competition, can girls enter?"

"I thought I said quite clearly it was for boys, and from your looks, I don't think you're exactly male" The class roared at this, Rose's cheeks burned, but she went on,

"No, I mean is there a section for girl's?" Mr. Craig smiled faintly. The class grew quiet again

"Now what would a girl want to play baseball for?"

"Oh but Mr. Craig! There should be – why isn't there one?" It put him a bit off guard, in all his life he'd never heard of such a thing as a _girl_ playing softball, so he laughed, such a ridiculous thing! And that girl Rose sat there with her eyes wide and serious, she must be making fun of him.

"Girls have never played baseball in my experience, why I'm sure they wouldn't know the first thing about it!" He laughed again, that laugh rankled in Rose's mind and she saw, in the corner of her eye Thomas' face, his eyes shining with the laugh of it, of course _he_ would find it funny. A blaze of indignation swept over her, which made her go further down this risky track, Mr. Craig was leaving the room again, chuckling to himself

"What if a girl could, what if she could prove that she could play baseball just as well – or better than the boys, what if a heap of girls could – then could we play?" Mr. Craig spun around if slapped, his eyes grew to slits and laughter grew cold on his lips, the red head girl was taking it too far, if she wanted to humiliate herself and humiliate him, well, he would give her the podium to do it on,

"Okay then missy, if you can gather up a team of girls who can play softball" he smiled cruelly, sure she wouldn't even get that far, "if you can actually do that, I'll give you that chance to prove yourself, or not when you play against the team I personally pick from the boys in a weeks time…and if you can beat them, you can do your best to enter the competition, if you get that far" Roses fiery, determined eyes went straight into his, she nodded, and he stalked out, ready to tell the joke to anyone who came his way.

The maths teacher, who had been waiting meekly in the corner, awed by the audacity of the situation, regained himself and tried to get the class back to the lesson. But it was as useless of trying cage a bull on rampage, for the buzz was a roar by now, everyone wanted to talk to Rose, either scorning or agreeing whole heartily with her. She was famous all lunch, for the word had spread around, she had a chattering mob around her the whole day, all the while recruiting for the team.

…..

Next chapter - Aftermath

Please tell me if you like it, improvements etc


	10. Revealing Letter

ROSE SHIRLEY CH 

_Anne's letter to Marilla and Matthew,_

"Dearest Marilla and Matthew,

There, a tear just rolled down my nose as I think of you far away in Avonlea. Okay, so it's not that far, but the main thing is that I'm not there right now, instead stuck in this cage of a boarding room.

Not that Queens isn't good, oh it's much more, absolutely fantastic! But even it cant beat Avonlea. I cannot start to describe what Queens is like, yes Marilla, even I cant find the words. It's all a hustle and bustle, which is fascinating for sure, but you get tired by the end of the day. It's a whole new shore of learning, some of it you despair, for there is so much that you don't know, but I do feel as though my whole world is expanding.

Most of my gang is here (but alas, not Diana), and we have many larks. There are new girls too; Stella, Priscilla and Rose who are all in first year. They all are kindred spirits, especially Rose, I feel exactly like she is my soul twin, you know we almost could be twins – the whole school is calling us that. Both with glossy red hair and freckled amok (sigh), and imaginations good and strong. I have finally found someone who can out match me in imagination, so of course we're going to get along well. She's a whiz at drawing to; with a few flicks of a wrist she captures images and people who look like they're ready to come out of the paper alive. She gets in trouble a lot with her pen though, the teacher usually discovering unflattering ones of them. But don't worry, we do _all_ our work, we're pretty clever the both of us, rivalling many in our class. Funny thing is that her name is Shirley too, only her name is spelt without an 'e'. We imagine we're twins. We're paired up in English to do this massive assignment about our family history and ourselves. Course I don't really know mine, and neither does she, but we've decided to make a thorough search of all the records we can find. I asked Mr. Matchet if we could just imagine one, but he glowered and said no. Should be interesting – and just imagine if I did find a relative!

This will have to do for now, I cant wait to see you and tell you everything in person!

Lovingly,

Your Anne.

P.S. Please can you show Diana this letter and assure her that she's still the shining star among my friends."

Marilla went white and started to stroke her amethyst brooch anxiously, she looked at Matthew with alarmed eyes, Matthew looked concerned, his face tense,

"Then it wasn't just a rumour, Marilla, it must be true, and what if it is?"

Marilla sat down, hardly anything could shake her, but this had. It was a few moments before she could speak,

"You can hardly know when Mrs. Blewitt is telling the truth or making a sensation. And she only kind of murmured it as a possibility, oh, but a real live twin of Anne? Such a thing does not seem possible at all"

Matthew gulped, "Two Anne's now…makes you wonder"

"This Rose girl could be her, but we wont say anything yet, what an effect that will have on Anne I _can_ imagine" Marilla said briskly, regaining her nerve, "If they find out together, that will be great. We must keep this quiet Matthew, I detest talk" Matthew nodded, he heartily agreed on that.

"Someday the truth will have to be told, but I don't think that should be now."

Marilla did not sleep at all that night for the first time in all her life.

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How did you like it? I'm kind of balancing two plots at once here, and it's hard not to neglect one, but it will all tie in together. I hope. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!


	11. Aftermath

**Rose Shirly chapter 11 **

**Aftermath**

When Rose woke up that morning she had no idea of what would happen that day, if she had, she would of stayed in bed the whole day. But ignorant her went to school, traipsing down the roads with Anne, talking excitedly about softball – they had scheduled a practise for the girls the next week and there was so much to be done and to get excited about! She was so engrossed that she didn't notice the glares people gave her as she skipped by. She gave Mr. Mooney the butcher a hearty wave, but instead of the typical grin and good morning, he turned his back on her. She turned to Anne, puzzled,

"Why, he's normally so cheerful that the sun couldn't out shine him!"

"Maybe he didn't see you, or he's busy or maybe he's got the Monday blues" Anne reassured. So they went on, Rose smiling at the people, but they either skittled by without a glance or snickered darkly. 'Has the whole world been affected by Mondayitis?' she wondered, but was so determined not to let that drag her down she bounced instead, making her mind up that she _would_ get a smile out of _someone_ or die trying! She spotted Jane and Ruby at the entrance of Queens and bounded up to them, flashing her biggest smile yet,

"Hey Jane! Ruby! It's so good to be back again, I feel like diving right into the school, or standing on the roof singing my heart how"

Ruby scowled and muttered, "Please don't, you've done enough already" Jane nudged her and whispered, "She doesn't know yet", "No?" said Ruby with unusual sarcasm, "Is she blind, cant she read?" hurried off. Rose looked over at Jane, eyes stinging, "What got into her that she has to be so…" Poisonous?" Anne suggested, Rose nodded, her heart sagging. She looked to Jane, who said nothing, but eyes fixed on the ground, and handed her a sheet of paper. Rose scanned the page and cried out as if stabbed, she started to run, oh she had to get away, everyone looking at her in that way, they must of read it! She didn't blame Ruby, not one bit, the shame of it, she would never live it down, she would have to move far away from here, get out of there, get away from the eyes, from the horrible piece of newspaper.

Anne came over and out her arms around her shoulder, "Show me" she said, voice firm. Rose sobbed and handed her the sheet, the hateful sheet, now Anne would probably be ashamed of her and never be able to look at her in the face again, and without her she probably would pine away or have to live as a hermit, grow all shaggy and uncivilised…

Anne read the sheet; her eyes losing all twinkle as the read the poisonous words:

GENDER CONFUSED? OR INSANE?

Read the blazing headline of the Charlottetown Herald

"Rose Shirly, a Queens student had a moment of gender confusion yesterday when she insisted on trying out for a boys softball team, when knocked back, she in a blaze of passion set about to start up her _own _softball team, of all girls! …..does she really think that girls could play against the boys in a _fair _game….Watch in two weeks time as the girls fight against the boys if you feel like adding a bit of comedy"

And underneath, in bold black ink was a grotesque looking cartoon of Rose in a boys softball get up, set up for bat while the boys behind her were in hysterics.

Rose looked at it again, "You could never call that art!" She spat at it and sobbed stormily on Anne's shoulder.

"Rose look at me"

"I can't, they've slandered my name all around town, I am _mud!_ Ted and Eleanor will here of it and turf me out, I will be alone, a repulsive hermit – cant you see I've _got _to get away" she spun out of Anne's arms and started to run, smack! Right into Thomas who looked at her sympathetically,

"Rose, I heard, I mean read, I know that it's…" Her voice burst out in anger, he had come here to gloat at her,

"I'm humiliated enough don't you think without you dancing in victory over me!" she raged, he tried to protest, but she couldn't hear anyone properly,

"Why, you probably drew it and sent it in! that would be right, satisfied, I'll leave town, that will make you happy – happy? You've got what you wanted, I'm outta here" and she fled out the gates with Thomas calling after here, "No Rose! You've got me all wrong!"

Anne ran after Rose and caught her as she knelt on the sidewalk with tears gushing out. Anne looked at her with empathy, she could imagine just what it would be like at that moment!

"Rose, if you're going to turn away everyone sympathetic there wont be anyone left to root for you!"

"He wasn't sympathetic, he was enjoying it, and you saw it Anne!"

"Rose, you can't see out tear filled eyes"

"Don't be so blasted philosophic while I'm in the very _depths _of despair! My life is ruined in case you didn't notice"

"You did give Thomas a hard time, you read him all wrong! He was…"

"Like you do to Gilbert?" Rose cut in, Anne shot her a furious look,

"That's different!" Rose almost smiled,

"Okay, well I'll leave both of them to you, I am leaving town, if anyone asks tell them I died of shame"

"Rose, that's impossible, listen to me in a few days time this will be yesterday's news, they may laugh now but they'll forget, they don't have that much brainpower in their miniscule heads. But if you leave, they will think that they were right, and that you couldn't stand up to them. Why, you're just handing them over a victory if you leave!" Rose had stopped crying and looked at Anne in the face with her blotchy eyes,

"And besides" Anne added, "What will our girl team do without a captain?" Rose smiled at her, her eyes filled with a different sort of fire.

"You are right Anne, oh so right! This abdominal knock against us, it will only fuel my fire - for when we will beat them, and show _them_!" Rose said and marched right back through the gates resolutely. And that is how she got through the worst day of her life with dignity.

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Oh thank you so much faithful reviewers, you are the boost for a writer to keep on! And please, you keep on too!


	12. Patches

CHAPTER 12

PATCHES

Excepts from Rose's letter to Ted and Eleanor 

"…I hope you weren't too worried about the letter I sent you two days ago, I was in furnace of fury over that article, you know, that hideous one I sent you. Please, burn it right away, and the letter too. I want to put it completely behind me you see, Anne's helping me, anyone who gave me a hint of a snigger today had to face up to her wrath, and her temper is as bad as mine, so you see, no one is game enough to mention it any more. And people, amazingly, have forgotten about it… mostly. Except Ruby, she's still a bit sore about it, and doesn't wont to be associated with us for a while until it dies down completely, but don't worry, she'll come around, she always does. Meanwhile the boys give her enough attention that will balm her wound of shame.

What's my balm from this shame? Our girl's softball competition! The article only stirred us up more, we're practising like mad grasshoppers, for it shall be our vengeance to the boys, it will be our proving worth that a girl _can_ play alongside the boys. What especially fires _me _is imagining Mr. Craig's face when we give the boys a throttling! _And _seeing the face of T-, I mean some of those smug boys. Me and Anne hardly talk about anything else. I tried to sketch Mr. Craig's face in anticipation, but decided to wait until I see it in action so I can capture the full shock of it.

Actually the article has been the best thing that's happened to the team, for other girls in disgust at the article joined us, we have a _thriving_ team now. Me and Anne were a bit worried about scarce women players, but we're overflowing with enthusiastic girls who are fired up to beat the boys! Most of my 'groupe' are the key players, Anne is an all-rounder, she dominates anywhere she plays, Stella has a dynamite pitch and Priscilla is like a lightning strike. Jane is our sturdy backstop and hardly lets a ball get past her.

I can just imagine your eyes Ted, gleaming over all this, you were the one who taught me how to master those curve balls! I can see you too Eleanor, nodding at it, though it's probably more like Sanskrit to you.

No needs to worry about our schoolwork suffering, for we not only dominate on the softball field, but in class as well. But you can be sure that the boys are a fierce opposition there too. In English, Math, History, Latin, Literature – 99 of the subjects I have to struggle to keep my head above the water, that if strive and work heartily to show up decently against Anne, Gil, Pris, Stella, Emily Clay and some of the other boys.

I haven't met any rivals in Art though. Our teacher there, Mrs. Kith is nice. Too nice, I can't get any decent criticism out her, she nods and smiles over anything, anyone draws. Of course it _is_ nice for a bit, like Grandmothers, no matter what you do they will smile and love you to the bursting point. But too much of that isn't good for you. So when ether I crave feedback, I either send a sketch to Mr. Lahar (and he'll punch a blow to me) or pull out that book – 'Great Artists and their Works' that you gave me. I don't know where I would be without that book! It's my ideals, my despair, and my aim; what I'm constantly striving for. And takes all the vanity out of me, if I was beginning to sound too cocky.

Don't worry; I have plenty of 'humblers' – my red hair (ah! If only I could cut all off and grow it back blonde, glowing golden blonde! Like an angel's hair), freckles (though Stella has written a soothing poem about them being like 'the glittering stars in the sky' I'll send you a copy!), and wretched Latin. Anne swims happily in all the 'venti's' and 'domigo's' while I start to drown in it.

So life it pretty much 'patches' here. For one thing, patching over that article incident (and this _shall _be the last time I mention it!), but also patches of smiles and laughter, ruthless competition, victories, that 'd' word (defeats), imaginings and, well, whatever Queen's throws at us.

Sealed with so much love it hurts,

Your loving daughter

Rose Shirly

By the way, you know the assignment that me and Anne have to do for English, we've finished the two other sections, 'A glimpse inside' and 'The Future' (boy, that was fun, me and Anne simply revelled in imaginings the whole afternoon. If you're wondering about mine, I'm going to travel Europe, being a distinguished artist that will simply rattle the world, marry a French Marquis and live side by side next to Anne in a mansion full of studios, paints, a conservatory, my own private gallery and a library. We're going to start up in institution to be named after us, but we haven't quite figured out what it will be for) and have left the hardest bit, our family history to last. For, it's kind of strange, but Anne and I both don't have a clue, both deprived of real relations that we know about! It would be so much easier if we could just imagine it, like Anne tried to suggest to Mr. Matchet, who was firm in his 'no'. But we're up to the challenge. This is going to be absolutely painful, I dread even imagining it, let alone _doing_ it, but, I must get in touch with Jack and Frieda, they might no something from which I came from, and any hint would be more than I have now.

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Yea! Another chapter COMPLTETE! It might seem a bit confusing, believe it is even for me, but rest assured that if will all come together in the end.

PLEASE! KEEP REVIEWING! (and an ABSOLOUTE thanks to everyone who has reviewed), reviews are what fuels this story!


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